MSPs urge more 20mph limits and bike training for children

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Holyrood has agreed that the Scottish government should look at improving
safety for cyclists. MSPs voted last night in favour of a series of measures
including expanding 20mph zones in town centres and offering every child
training on their bikes.

It came after the Green MSP Alison Johnstone proposed a motion calling for
more support for the growing numbers of cyclists, The issue is gaining
prominence north of the Border and a rally is to take place at parliament
next month. “The cycling community is raising its voice louder than ever,”
said Ms Johnstone. “For example, the Times’ cycle campaign is bringing the
issue into the national domain.”

The Lothians MSP added: “We need to move to a situation where 20mph is the
norm in residential areas. I’d also like to see a broader review of speed
limits in both urban and rural areas. Recent accidents have happened on
40mph roads, but these are roads with parked cars, with pedestrians, traffic
islands, cyclists. We need to ask why these are 40mph roads.”

Keith Brown, the Transport Minister, welcomed the debate — Holyrood’s first on
cycling — and added: “Cycling should be safe, it should be healthy and it
should also be a realistic choice as a mode of transport. There has been a
recent focus on cycling.”

He took part in a summit last week where he discussed schemes such as special
traffic lights and 20mph zones. He convened the event after 40-year-old
Bryan Simons became the fourth cyclist to die in a year in Edinburgh.

The Conservative MSP John Lamont, who also backed the Times’ campaign, said
the safety of cyclists needed to be improved in order to encourage more
people to use bikes as a mode of transport. “One training organisation said
that two hours of training costing £70 would transform the safety of
cyclists on the road,” he said.

Mrs Johnstone’s amended motion was passed unanimously. It called on the
Scottish government to “place active travel at the heart of the planning
system; to work with local authorities to implement a rolling programme to
upgrade infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists as part of every road
improvement”.

It also asked the administration to expand the use of 20mph zones in
residential and shopping streets, consider reviewing all urban speed limits
and ensure all road users have access to increased cycling safety training,
including working with councils to give every child in Scotland the
opportunity for training by 2015.